At the Abingdon Cycle Festival, on the 10th April 2016, rides started at 9am from the Market Place.
The rides ranged from the 50 mile quick road ride, averaging 19-22 mph, to 5 mile family rides.
There were 31 rides on the schedule, and it was a case of sign in early to get the ride you wanted.
The day started off sunny with a cool breeze.
There was music to entertain the cyclists, and stalls servings food and refreshments, as well as stalls selling cyclist gear, and a stall with fold-up Brompton bikes.
The oldest bike was a 1891 Rover – still going strong.
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The Town Crier announced all the rides and helped direct people to their starting point. But this year he had a brand new bike. The green vintage bicycle he rode at previous cycle festivals has not lasted as well as the 1891 Rover.
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The final picture is at 10am and shows a typical scene with cyclists waiting for the off.
What a truly fantastic thing to happen in our Town.
This looked like a fantastic event. It would be great if it was advertised a bit more next year. i would love to support/participate in an event such as this next year. But I didn’t find out about it until the Oxford bus company reported a change of route.
May be a great event and I’m sure most of the cyclists are responsible riders, but twice yesterday I had issues with cyclists. One group of 4, riding 2 abreast, went straight through a red traffic light and caused a car to swerve. Another group were cycling as a bunch along a main road, causing a tailback of traffic.
Cycle chick – do you have any suggestions about how/where it should have been advertised? It is really difficult for event organisers to know which advertising methods work – different people pick up their information from different sources, so any suggestions as to what would work for you would be welcome.
Maybe a few posters around the main roads. This blog is great but also often talks about events retrospectively. Which is lovely to see what our town has to offer and I do try and keep an eye out on things, but at the same time I often find out about things too late to be able to
Attend. I am also a member on a few different Abingdon Facebook sites but haven’t found one which advertises community sporting events such as this cycling event.
Thanks Cycle chick. A few other online places worth keeping an eye on:
– the Events Calendar at http://www.abingdon.gov.uk is the most comprehensive listing of local events
– the WhatsOnAbingdon Twitter feed has all the big ones
– StreetLife is becoming more used for events
– there is an Abingdon Facebook Group
And for hard copy
– Round and About magazine
– Town Crier magazine/What’s on in Abingdon
– Abingdon Herald
You are right – roadside posters are eye-catching but there are all sorts of regulations about them – not to mention the manpower involved in putting them up and taking them down. Only big groups can really afford to do them.
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…it was quite well postered on the roadside along the Tesco slip road.
Kelly raised an interesting point. The Groups that go out on Tuesdays generally return after dark and they can be very intimidating, riding in a close pack, three abreast and with very intense un dipped lights. A wall of light, whether you meet them by bike or by car.
Nice idea to have a bike event, shame those riding bikes have little idea and obey few of the rules of the road.
Riding two abreast at best and at worse, whole groups taking up the road and hold up drivers.Is it any wonder cars and bikes don’t mix ? Time should be taken to give these people lessons on the highway code for bikes.
I’m amazed no one was injured.